


Wiggle your way into my heart

by Tacuma



Series: 50 First Meetings [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Gen, Kid Steve Rogers, Non powered au, Parent Tony Stark, Slice of Life, a little bit of angst, cuteness all over
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-13 07:08:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3372374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tacuma/pseuds/Tacuma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Steve's mother collapses on the street, Tony and Pepper are the only ones around to help. Pepper joins her to the hospital, leaving Tony to take care of the six year old Steve. Only two days later Steve's mother dies and Tony knows he should bring the kid to an orphanage, but he started to really like Steve, and the feeling is mutual.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wiggle your way into my heart

**Author's Note:**

> This is for me, because it's my birthday tomorrow. This is not beta-ed, so my apologies for the mistakes that will surely be there. This is also part of my NaNoWriMo story from last year, which makes it crap, all my NaNo stories are crap. Apologies, apologies, apologies!

‘Oh come on, you gotta be kidding me,’ Tony Stark complained as he sat in the back of the car, Starkpad on his lap as he was working on some very important projects. His driver, Happy Hogan, apologized.

 

‘I’m so sorry, boss, but Pepper is stuck in traffic and she doesn’t know if she will be in time to pick up Maddie from kindergarten. We’re close by, it won’t take much time. She is a good girl, you won’t even notice she is here. I’ll take you home the moment we get her.’

 

The only reason Tony stopped complaining was because he loved Pepper. She was his best friend, she was the one who ran his company for him, she practically ran his life for him, and she still found time to spend with her husband and child. Tony was happy she found happiness with his driver, but their kid was a little annoying. He hardly ever saw Maddie, or Madeline, as Pepper insisted. It was only on birthdays or with Christmas, or days like this, when someone made an error in their schedule, that he saw the kid. They just didn’t get along.

 

Tony watched as they pulled up on the parking lot next to the school. It had been years since he had been at a school. Curiously he got out of the car and followed Happy. His driver raised an eyebrow when he noticed, but didn’t say anything. They stepped onto the school grounds when they heard the sound of high heels on the pavement. They both knew those heels could only belong to one person.

 

‘Pepper, you made it,’ Tony said, a bit annoyed. ‘Good thing we went out of our way to get here in time as well.’

 

‘Shut it, Tony,’ Pepper said. ‘She is only in kindergarten and they close in five minutes. I couldn’t have Maddie waiting here on her own, she is way too young for that. I just called you, but I’m sure you left your phone in the car.’

 

Those last words were aimed at her husband, who indeed did not bring his phone from the car. Now that all of them were here the two parents decided to get their daughter together. Tony followed them, still curious about the school, tapping away on his phone. He almost stumbled over a small kid who stood there, backpack straps in his hand, waiting for his mother. He was small, even for a six year old. His blond hair was getting a little too long and his clothes were a little too big. His blue eyes pierced through Tony and didn’t seem to befit a tiny boy like this.

 

‘Sorry big guy,’ Tony said. ‘I shouldn’t walk and type at the same time.’

 

‘S okay,’ the kid said. ‘I’m okay.’

 

‘Good,’ Tony said with a wink as he moved on, to where Pepper and Happy were cuddling their daughter and asking how her day had been. Pepper talked to her teacher for a minute, asking how her little girl was doing. Tony looked at Maddie. The girl looked a lot like Pepper, but her hair was darker. Now that her parents weren’t paying attention to her, Maddie was glaring daggers at Tony. Tony had never done anything wrong, he even gave her huge presents for her birthday and Christmas. She probably didn’t like him, because he took her parents from her whenever he needed them. Tony thought she was just a jealous little prick. He never told Pepper, knowing she would say exactly the same about him. He never had a proper childhood, he had the right to act childish now and then!

 

‘Ma, are you okay?’ a voice asked.

 

Tony looked up. It was the blond kid, the only other kid left waiting. His mother had arrived. She looked like she had ran all the way, because he hair was wild and she was sweating. Her face was pale, an unhealthy color, and she was gasping for air. Tony put his phone away. This wasn’t good, the woman didn’t look good, not even for a person who had been running. Tony wanted to approach her, ask her if she needed something, when the woman collapsed.

 

‘MA!’ the kid cried out.

 

Tony ran to the woman, Pepper on his heels. They laid her on her back and checked her breathing. Her heart was still beating and she was still breathing, but she didn’t wake up when they called her. Happy had grabbed Pepper’s phone from her bag and was calling an ambulance. Pepper kept trying to wake the woman up. Next to them the kid was crying and tried to get to his mother. Tony kneeled down next to him.

 

‘Shhh, it’s going to be alright,’ he said. ‘She is going to be alright. We’ll take her to the hospital and very smart doctors will take a look at her and get her better again. No need to cry, big boy. What’s your name?’

 

‘Steve,’ sobbed the kid.

 

‘Okay, Steve, I’m Tony,’ Tony answered. He wasn’t sure how to deal with kids, but the billionaire tried his best. ‘Your mom is going to the hospital and she’s going to be just fine.’

 

‘She is sick,’ Steve muttered. He was talking so softly that Tony could barely hear him. ‘The hospital can’t make us better.’

 

Tony raised an eyebrow at that, but didn’t comment on it. ‘Where is your father? Can we call him?’

 

‘He’s dead,’ Steve said, before he started crying again.

 

‘I’m sorry, I’m really sorry,’ Tony said, panic rising inside him. ‘Any other family? Aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters? Is there anyone I can call for you?’

 

Steve shook his head. ‘Sometimes the neighbor brings me food, but I don’t know her phone number.’

 

‘I’ll stay with you then,’ Tony said. ‘We’re not leaving you alone. We’ll look after you until your mother wakes up again, okay?’

 

At that moment the ambulance arrived. Two guys came running out and checked on the woman. Tony didn’t know what they found, but they didn’t look very happy. They put her on a stretcher and rolled her into the ambulance. They were about  to drive off, so Tony stopped them.

 

‘This is her son, can’t he come with her?’ he asked.

 

‘I don’t think he should be there, we’ll be running a few tests on her,’ one of the guys said. ‘It would be good if one of the adults would join.’

 

‘I’ll go with her,’ Pepper offered. ‘You guys come after us with the kid. We can’t leave him alone.’ She got into the ambulance and they drove off, leaving Steve, Tony, Happy and Maddie behind.

 

‘Now what?’ Happy sighed. ‘Why does she always have to do things like this? She doesn’t even know the woman!’

 

‘She is being kind, you know her better than I do,’ Tony said as he looked at Steve. The kid was still crying. ‘We’re going after her. Want to drive with me in the car?’

 

‘Ma told me not to go with strangers,’ Steve said as he wiped his tears away, determination in his voice.

 

‘That’s indeed not a smart thing to do,’ Tony realized. He knocked on the door of the school and talked with the teachers. If the teachers knew where Steve was then they could convince Steve to go with him. The lovely old lady told Steve that it was perfectly safe to go with the nice man. Tony wasn’t sure if she did so because she really trusted Tony or that she just didn’t want to take care of the kid herself, but Steve believed her and followed Tony.

 

‘Happy, what will you do? Are you going to the hospital as well or are you going home?’ Tony asked.

 

‘I’m going home for now and bring Maddie back. I’ll ask my mother to look after her when I’ll have to pick up Pepper,’ the driver answered.

 

‘Alright, you take her car then, I’ll take mine and bring Steve to the hospital,’ Tony said. ‘You coming, big guy?’

 

Steve timidly followed Tony to the car and sat down in the backseat. He looked around curiously, his sadness forgotten for a moment. Tony didn’t say anything, he just let the boy be. If he wanted to talk, he would talk. Tony focused on driving to the hospital. Normally he was a pretty wild driver. He liked to make some speed, but with someone else’s kid in the back of his car he was more careful. When they arrived at the hospital Tony called Pepper to ask where she was. Five minutes later they met each other in the hallway.

 

‘I’ll take you to her room,’ Pepper said, a friendly smile on her face when she saw Steve holding Tony’s hand. Pepper led the way and brought them to a room on the sixth floor. Steve’s mother was in a bed in a single room. No one to disturb her.

 

‘She was really tired, so she is sleeping,’ Pepper explained Steve. ‘The doctors are going to do a few tests on her later, but for now she is resting. Go and take a look at her. Tell her you love her.’

 

Steve walked to a chair, pulled it to the bed, and sat on his knees on top of it, so he could see his mother on the bed. He started talking to her, telling how his day at school was and how he had felt really good, not even sick once. Pepper pulled Tony to the far corner of the room.

 

‘She has cancer,’ she whispered. ‘In a far stage. There is nothing they can do about it. The doctors said she knew, but that she wanted to go home and stay with her son as long as possible. They don’t think she’ll leave the hospital alive. They gave her a few more days.’

 

‘Shit,’ Tony said. ‘She’s going to die? I told him she was going to be alright! What do we do with him now? We can’t let Steve here, on his own. He says he doesn’t have any family where we can drop him either. We gotta do something for him, Pep.’

 

‘I asked the doctors if there is anything in her files, but they confirmed they don’t have any family left,’ Pepper sighed. ‘They also said the kid is sick all the time. He has asthma and heart problems and at least another hundred things. He needs someone who can take care of him.’

 

‘He said his neighbor gave him food sometimes,’ Tony said. ‘But that doesn’t sound like she takes care of him. We should talk to her, she might now who looks after him when his mother is working. Shall I take him there, ask her about it and then see if I can drop him off with someone he knows?’

 

‘Yeah, you should do that,’ Pepper agreed. ‘I’m glad to see you’re doing this, Tony. I’m glad you care, the kid needs it.’

 

‘If anyone knows what it feels like to be a lonely child, it’s me,’ Tony groaned. ‘Not going to let that happen to him. You can go home if you want, Pep, your husband and daughter are waiting for you. Madeline was already glaring daggers at me, so go and be with her. She needs you more than I do.’

 

‘I don’t think that last thing is true, you big child,’ Pepper laughed. ‘But thank you, I’ll go home then. Let me know how things turned out, alright?’

 

Pepper left, leaving Tony with a dying lady and her child. He wasn’t sure what to do next. Yes, he would go and visit Steve’s neighbor, but after that, he had no clue. He might be a genius and he could do things no one else in the world could when it came to technology, but he didn’t know how to deal with a child. It frustrated him. The only kid he knew was Maddie and she hated him. Not good. Tony thought for an hour about all his options, but decided he wouldn’t get any further if he didn’t know if there was anyone who could  take care of Steve.

 

‘Hey, big guy, we should be going,’ Tony said as he got up from his chair. ‘Give her a kiss. I’m sure you can come back tomorrow.’

 

‘Where are we going?’ Steve asked after he said goodbye to his mother. Much to Tony’s dislike, he grabbed Tony’s hand again.

 

‘Your house. Do you know your address? I want to ask your neighbor a few things. Maybe we’ll have to get you some clothes and your toothbrush, stuff like that. You’re going to stay over, I just don’t know where yet.’

 

Tony drove to Steve’s house, which was in a dark corner of Brooklyn. Not the best place to grow up, but seeing that Steve lived alone with his mother it was probably the only place they could afford. Tony talked to the neighbor and told her what had happened. The neighbor was really sorry, but she had six kids of her own to take care off and she didn’t have any space for another one. There also was no family and there were no friends she knew of that Tony could call. She told him how Sarah was either working or taking care of her son. She didn’t have time for anything else.

 

Luckily the neighbor did have a key, so Tony didn’t have to break in. Tony told Steve to get some things he wanted to bring, while he grabbed a few of the boy’s clothes and put everything in a bag. He found some socks and underwear and threw those in the bag as well. Steve came with his toothbrush, a plushy, and a bag of medication. Tony raised his eyes at the meds, but placed it in the bag without saying a word. He searched for some toys, but didn’t found anything. There wasn’t much beside the basics at all, so Tony figured the poor kid just didn’t have any toys.

 

‘Okay, are you ready to go, big guy?’ Tony asked. ‘Do we have everything you need?’

 

Steve nodded. They closed the door, returned the key, and got into to the car. Tony drove them to the nearest mall and searched for a toy store. There was one, a huge one. It would probably a bit overwhelming for a kid who didn’t have any toys at all, but at least he could pick whatever the hell he wanted.

 

‘Why are we here?’ Steve asked curiously, looking around, but not touching anything.

 

‘I don’t have any toys at my place and I don’t want you to be bored when you’re staying over, so you can pick whatever you want, okay? I don’t care what it is, just get what you want.’

 

‘Really?’ Steve asked.

 

‘Yes, really,’ Tony answered.

 

‘But ma told me not to take candy or toys from strange men,’ Steve said a bit disappointed.

 

‘I’m not a strange man anymore,’ Tony argued. ‘Your teacher said it was alright, didn’t she? It’s alright, just pick something.’

 

That was enough to convince the little boy that it really was alright. Steve walked around and stopped to look at something now and then. He stood a long time staring at the books and Tony thought he was going to get some, but Steve moved on. When he found a box with colored pencils he took it from the shelf and handed it to Tony.

 

‘I’d like this please,’ he said.

 

Tony couldn’t believe it. Nothing that moved, nothing that made noise, no video games, just colored pencils. They weren’t even expensive. No other kid in the world would have picked this if he could chose whatever he wanted.

 

‘Alright, we’re gonna need some paper too then,’ Tony said as he grabbed two sketch pads. He also grabbed some of the books for kids Steve’s age and a box of Lego.  That was better. If Steve could go home again he could bring all of it. All kids needed to play!

 

‘Why do we have so much?’ Steve asked, a frown on his face as he looked at all the things in Tony’s basket.

 

‘Because I think you deserve some nice presents,’ Tony said. ‘And I have a lot of money, so I can buy them for you.’

 

‘Thank you mister Tony.’

 

‘You’re welcome big guy. And you can just call me Tony, okay?’

 

Steve nodded. Tony paid for they toys and they both carried a bag to the car. Tony drove them to Stark Tower. He wasn’t sure how to explain the kid that the entire building belonged to him, so they took a back door and used the elevator there to go to the penthouse. His butler Jarvis was already waiting for him. His eyebrows almost disappeared into his hair when he saw the kid following his boss.

 

‘I didn’t know we’d have a guest,’ Jarvis said.

 

‘Me neither,’ Tony sighed. ‘But I doubt he eats much, so I’m sure we’ll be fine. His mother collapsed right next to us and he had no place to go. It was too late to call any institutions or something, they all close around six, so I just brought him back. I’ll call around tomorrow to see what we should do. He’s going to stay here tonight, so could you prepare a guest room for him?’

 

‘I don’t think he should be sleeping alone on a floor, sir,’ Jarvis said.

 

‘What do you suggest?’ Tony asked with a sigh.

 

‘I suggest you sleep in a guest room as well and let him know where you all, in case he can’t sleep or has to use the bathroom,’ Jarvis said. ‘He needs to be able to go to someone for help, sir.’

 

Tony groaned. ‘Alright, prepare a room for me too. Is dinner ready?’

 

‘Yes, I’ll serve it, sir,’ Jarvis said before he disappeared in the kitchen.

 

‘Are you hungry?’ Tony asked Steve, who hadn’t moved. The boy shook his head. ‘No, I understand, but you’ll have to eat something. Only a little, okay?’

 

They walked into the dining room and sat down on the chairs where the food was waiting for them. Steve didn’t say anything and just kept looking around the huge room. The dining room was almost as big as Steve’s entire apartment. Tony almost felt bad about it. Especially when Steve has to sit on his knees on the chair to actually be able to reach the food. Tony started eating and watched how Steve picked up the knife and fork and tried his best to eat like his mother had taught him.

 

‘Want some help?’ Tony asked. He pulled Steve’s plate closer and cut the food in small pieces before giving it back. He knew Pepper did that for Maddie sometimes. ‘Just use your fork, that’s a lot easier.’

 

‘Thank you,’ Steve said as he put his knife down and started eating with his fork.

 

Tony tried to talk and distract the kid as much as possible. He asked about school and about the things Steve liked to do and all other happy things he can think of. As long as it wasn’t about sickness and death, to keep the kid from crying. It worked, he didn’t cry and ate most of the food. He definitely had no problems finishing his desert.

 

After dinner Steve took his pencils and the sketch book and started coloring. Tony sat down at the table as well, laptop in place, and got some work done. Steve didn’t say much, but made several drawings. Parenting wasn’t as difficult as Tony thought it was. He could totally do this! Steve was the easiest kid on earth. Giving him toys, feeding him, driving him around, Tony could do that!

 

‘Big guy, I think it’s time for bed,’ Tony said when Jarvis kept coughing and glancing at the clock and Steve. ‘Let’s take a look at your room, alright?’

 

‘I made a drawing for you,’ Steve said as he handed Tony a piece of paper. It had two people on it. A small blond one and a tall dark-haired one. They were holding hands and the big one was holding a red basket, like in the toy store.

 

‘Thank you,’ Tony said. ‘I’ll put it up after I brought you to bed.’

 

Steve followed Tony to the guest room. The kid changed into his pajamas, brushed his teeth and took all his medication. Tony showed him where he would he would be sleeping tonight, so Steve could come over if anything was wrong.

 

‘Can we read a story?’ Steve asked as he climbed into the big bed.

 

Tony panicked a little. He had never read anyone a story, ever. He had thought the kid could read, but he was only six! Of fucking course he couldn’t read yet! Not all kids were geniuses like Tony had been. Still was, although he felt a bit stupid now. ‘Sure, I’ll get one of the books,’ Tony said, acting like this was the most normal thing in the world. He quickly disappeared and took a few deep breaths before he grabbed a book and walked back into the bedroom. He sat down on the bed and started reading. Before the story was over Steve was already asleep.

 

~

 

Tony paced around outside of the hospital room. The doctors had called Pepper to tell her that Sarah Rogers was awake and that it might be the last time she was awake. Tony immediately brought Steve to his mother. The two were in the room together now, talking about what was going to happen. They had both been crying and Tony had left, because he couldn’t handle it. He didn’t even know these people, but he couldn’t handle it.

 

‘Tony,’ a familiar voice said. It was Pepper. ‘How are they doing?’

 

‘Crying their eyes out,’ Tony sighed.

 

‘It’s really sad,’ Pepper agreed. ‘He is so young and already lost both of his parents. I did some research and there is an orphanage in his neighborhood. He can keep living between the people he knows, in his own neighborhood, I think he’ll like that.’

 

‘That’s cold, Pepper, really cold,’ Tony said. ‘Sorry your mom died, kid, but this is the place you’ll live until you’re eighteen and they’ll kick you out. Have fun and try not to die, like your mom and dad!’

 

‘Tony, be serious about this.’

 

‘I am serious about this!’ Tony defended himself. ‘He takes like six pills before he goes to bed and the same in the morning. He has been carrying his inhaler around all day and he had a bad asthma attack when he heard him mother was about to die. He will be sad and terrified when she’ll die, we can’t just drop him off at an orphanage. He’ll have another attack for sure.’

 

‘Alright,’ Pepper sighed. ‘Then what is your plan?’

 

‘He’ll stay with me.’

 

‘Tony! You can’t….’

 

‘No, just listen for a minute,’ Tony interrupted her. ‘He knows me now, he stayed over at my place last night and it went pretty well. At least let him stay with me until the funeral. He’ll have time to get used to the idea and he won’t have to deal with everything at once. He is only six. I have enough space for a hundred people and together with Jarvis I can do this. Just until the funeral and then we’ll take a look at the orphanage in Brooklyn.’

 

Pepper sighed. ‘Alright. I’ll make a few calls, let everyone know he will be staying with you for now. But I don’t want you constantly calling me or Happy with questions. I have to run your company and Happy has to drive you, and everyone involved in your company, around. We don’t have time to help you with this, you’ll have to do it on your own.’

 

‘I’ll ask Jarvis for help,’ Tony said. ‘He practically raised me, and yeah, a few things went wrong, but that had nothing to do with Jarvis. Entirely my father’s fault. I can do this. Steve is the easiest kid on earth.’

 

‘He might be easy, but he is grieving, Tony. He needs love, attention and understanding, someone who cares. Are you going to be that person?’ Pepper asked.

 

Tony swallowed heavily. ‘Yes?’

 

‘I’ll be making the calls then,’ Pepper sighed. ‘Go back into that room and be with him when his mother dies. He needs support.’

 

Tony nodded. He took a deep breath and got back into the room. Not much had changed. The two of them were lying in each other’s arms. There were still tears in their eyes, but they weren’t crying anymore. Steve was chuckling a little as his mother made jokes and told stories from their past. Tony sat down in the corner again, laptop on his lap, but he couldn’t concentrate on work. He had seen people die before, he had seen people get shot. But they were gone in minutes and without suffering. Tony had never been there when someone was actively dying, not sure when they would be gone.

 

He tried not to listen to the things mother and son were saying to each other, but he couldn’t stop himself. The stories made him smile as well. She was trying so hard to cheer her son up, to make her last moments be happy moments for him. She made him forget about what was about to happen.

 

They talked like that until Sarah started coughing. Tony got up to get Steve off the bed. He was lying on her chest and she needed air. Tony could see the woman was tired. She looked bad, worn out. A nurse entered the room and helped her up a little. The coughing stopped, but her eyes kept falling shut.

 

‘Steve,’ she said softly. ‘Steve, I love you. Remember that. I love you more than anything in the world.’

 

‘I love you too, ma,’ he said. He was sitting on Tony’s lap, close to the bed.

 

‘Please take care of my son,’ she whispered to Tony. Tony could only nod.

 

‘Be a good boy, Steve, and remember that I love you.’

 

She took Steve’s hand in her and squeezed it softly. Her eyes closed again, but this time they didn’t open anymore. Steve was calling his mother, but she didn’t respond. Her hand around Steve’s had gone weak. Steve was shouting now, still calling her, crying for his mother. Tony pulled him into his arms and pressed him against his chest. His shirt got soaked with the boy’s tears and Tony had to bite his lip so he wouldn’t start crying himself.

 

Steve was crying so badly that he got himself another asthma attack. Tony quickly grabbed the inhaler and gave it to the kid, but he was shaking so much he couldn’t use it. Tony helped him, gave it to him, helping him breathe again. It worked. Slowly Steve calmed down, but he wouldn’t stop crying. He buried his face in Tony’s chest again, and Tony wrapped his arms around him. They sat there for a long time together until a nurse walked in.

 

‘I’m afraid you’ll have to leave now, sir,’ she said, tears in her eyes when she heard the little boy cry.

 

Tony stood up, lifting Steve in his arms. The boy started kicking and struggling to get away. He cried and shouted that he didn’t want to leave and that he wanted his mother. Tony had a hard time, but with some help of the nurse he got out of the room anyway. Halfway through the hospital Steve calmed down again. He stopped kicking, but he still cried loudly. Tony rubbed his back gently as he brought him to the garage. In the car the crying stopped. Steve didn’t say a word, just stared out of the window the entire ride to the tower. It almost scared Tony.

 

Wherever Tony went, Steve went. When Tony sat down, Steve climbed on the couch next to him. When he walked to the kitchen for a drink, Steve followed him and waited until he went back to the living room again. Tony drew the line at the bathroom, but other than that he didn’t mind. He didn’t feel like doing anything himself anyway. They just sat together on the couch, not doing anything, not saying anything. Tony felt weirdly empty. He hadn’t even felt like this when his own parents died.

 

Jarvis took care of the both of them. He made them a meal, but Steve nor Tony ate much. They just sat closely together as they moved their food from one side of the plate to the other. Tony took Steve to bed early. The kid said he didn’t want to sleep, but Tony could see he was exhausted. Of course Steve refused to let Tony leave.

 

‘Will you please stay with me? Please?’ Steve begged.

 

Tony knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t resist those puppy eyes. He took off his shoes, socks, jeans and shirt before he lifted the blankets. Steve crawled in the big bed and Tony lay down next to him. He turned off the light and pulled the blanket up to their shoulders. Steve turned to face him. For a minute they lay there together in silence, but then Tony felt fingers on his chest.

 

‘Why do you have a nightlight?’ Steve asked.

 

Tony looked down at the arc reactor in his body, the thing that saved his heart from the shrapnel that was in his chest. It was uncomfortable, but he couldn’t live without it. He had gotten used to it by now. So used that he had completely forgotten about it. He was used to the blue light that shone over everything.

 

‘Because I don’t like the dark,’ Tony lied. ‘I like to have some light. It scares some people, but it’s not scary at all. It doesn’t hurt.’

 

‘It’s pretty,’ Steve said, before he crawled against the little light. Tony wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t even stay to sleep with the people he… well, slept with. He walked out and went to do things in his workshop, or he’d go to another room to sleep there. He wasn’t good at sharing a bed, let alone cuddle in a bed. But Steve needed it, so he let him. When the kid would fall sleep, Tony would go and spend the rest of the night in his own bed.

 

It took really long for Steve to fall asleep. At some point he started crying again and it only stopped when he fell asleep. Tony was about to sneak out when a nightmare woke the kid up again. That repeated itself a few times until he was so tired that he didn’t wake up anymore. By that time Tony had fallen asleep as well, and stayed asleep until the next morning.

 

~

 

Pepper prepared the funeral when Tony asked her to. He didn’t know how to do it himself when he had Steve around all the time, and to be honest, he had never done anything like that before. He wasn’t sure what to do. The last time he attended a funeral he had been twenty and he had buried his parents.

 

The days between Sarah’s death and her funeral Steve stayed with Tony. He was sick the day after her death and stayed in bed all day. He slept most of the time, but when he was awake Tony read him stories or they watched cartoons. Anything to keep Steve’s mind off his mother and keep him calm. He still had an minor asthma attack once, caused by a panic attack, but Tony did his best to help him through it.

 

Tony made an alarm that would go off when Steve woke up. Whenever he was awake Tony went to check on him. Jarvis was both surprised and impressed how well his boss was doing, and even complimented him. Tony would shrug and say that he had to, or that Steve was an easy kid. But Jarvis knew better. This was a really hard time for Steve. He needed a lot of attention and could be really stubborn, but Tony did whatever he could and gave the kid all the attention he needed. He even held Steve and hugged him whenever he needed it. Sure, they were still distant from each other, they were practically strangers, helping each other through a difficult time. But things were going better than expected.

 

Tony had a team of movers clean out the apartment in Brooklyn and let them bring everything that belonged to Steve to his penthouse. Everything personal ended up in boxes in one of Tony’s rooms, while all furniture and Sarah’s clothes were either given away or thrown out. It was harsh, but it had to happen and there was no one else to do it. The landlord had already been asking about it. Tony was surprised how little boxes actually ended up in his house.

 

After a few days the funeral was held. Tony had paid for everything, because Sarah didn’t have the money. Not many people attended. A few vague friends, some colleagues, and the neighbors. Tony tried to stay in the back and let Steve stand with the neighbors, but Steve refused to let go of his hand. Tony didn’t want this to be about him, about the famous business man and billionaire. He wanted this to be about the nurse and mother Sarah Rogers. He stood behind Steve, letting the kid hold his finger, but making sure he was never on the same level as Steve was.

 

The little blond boy had made a drawing of him and his mother and he put it on the coffin before it disappeared in the grave. Steve didn’t shed a single tear. He hadn’t seen his mother in the coffin, so it all felt unreal, like she wasn’t really there. He had already buried her in his heart the day she had died. Other people left flowers and threw a handful of dirt on the coffin, saying goodbye. One by one they left, until only Steve and Tony were there.

 

‘We should go, big guy,’ Tony muttered. When Steve didn’t move, Tony lifted him up and carried him away. He felt a wet cheek against his neck, but Steve didn’t make a sound.

 

~

 

‘Why are you packing my bag?’ Steve asked. It was two days after the funeral and he was doing better. Of course he still missed his mother, but he wasn’t sick and he wasn’t crying all day anymore either. He had to go to the orphanage now. Tony didn’t like it at all, but Pepper was very strict about it. She had made arrangements and Tony couldn’t refuse. So he packed Steve’s bag and prepared everything to bring him away. But not the way Pepper wanted, he was doing this on his own terms.

 

‘I’m going to take you to an orphanage,’ Tony explained. ‘That’s a place where kids go when they lost their parents. It’s a really fun place. There are nice men and women who take care of you and there are a lot of other kids to play with. It’s like you’re having a sleep over every night! You’ll make a lot of new friends and have tons of fun.’

 

‘What if they don’t like me?’ Steve asked in a small voice.

 

‘Why wouldn’t they like you?’ Tony asked in return. ‘You’re a really nice kid. Maybe there will be some kids who don’t like you, but there are many of them! I’m sure there are a lot of them who will love you! And you know what, we’re only going to try this out, so you don’t have to worry about anything. I’m taking you there now and I’ll come back to see how you’re doing tomorrow, okay?’

 

‘Can I come back home tomorrow?’

 

Tony cursed in his head. Maybe Pepper had been right. Of course Pepper had been right, she was always right, damn her. The kid already got attached to him and, Tony would never admit it out loud, he really liked having Steve around as well. He missed spending hours alone in his workshop, tinkering and inventing new things, but the rare smiles on Steve’s face somehow made up for it. Tony didn’t understand himself. He hated all kind of responsibilities. He gave his company to Pepper, so he didn’t have to deal with all those responsibilities. Having a kid around was the greatest responsibility a human could ever have in his or her life. Yet he didn’t mind having Steve around at all.

 

‘We’ll see,’ Tony said. ‘If you’re having a lot of fun, you can stay there. It’s way cooler to live there than to live here, you know. But I’ll just come over to see how you are doing tomorrow, alright, and then we’ll talk about it.’

 

Steve frowned, but agreed with that and got in the car without complaining. Tony drove them to Brooklyn and parked in front of the orphanage. He didn’t like it at all. The building looked old, like it could collapse anytime soon. It looked dark and unwelcoming. He stayed positive though, to make Steve feel like this was perfectly normal. He took the kid inside where a lady was waiting for them.

 

‘Hi! You must be Steve,’ she said with a bright smile. ‘Let me show you where you will be sleeping tonight, before I take you to the other kids. The weather is nice, so they’re all having fun in the backyard.’

 

Tony followed the lady as well, to see where Steve would end up. The inside didn’t look any better than the outside. There were some paintings on the wall, obviously made by kids, to make it look more happy and colorful, but the grey and white surroundings didn’t look inviting at all. The thick, brown doors that led to the bedrooms didn’t make it any better.

 

‘Okay, since you’re about four years old, you’re…’ the lady started.

 

‘I’m six!’ Steve said, a little angry.

 

‘He is six,’ Tony confirmed. ‘He is a little small, but he will grow soon enough. He surely is six years old. He is in kindergarten. I hope you have a place in a room with kids his age.’

 

‘I’m so sorry!’ the lady said. ‘Of course I have a room with the six year olds! It’s over here.’

 

She opened the door and showed the room. It was a mess. There were two bunk beds, only one of the beds was made up. Blankets and pillows of the other beds were on the floor, as well as toys, homework and a glass of water that had fallen. There were some posters on the wall with pictures of cars and baseball players, but most were torn and outdated. Tony would know, he used to own several of those cars.

 

‘You’ll share a room with three other boys,’ the lady said as she kicked some of the toys aside. ‘They’ll have to clean their rooms tomorrow, so it’s a bit of a mess now. This will be your bed, and this is your closet. You can put your clothes in there.’

 

The closet was too high for Steve to reach, he could only reach the lowest shelf, so Tony opened his bag and put everything on a reachable height for the kid. The medicine ended up there as well. Tony also checked the bed, but it looked like it was clean.

 

‘Alright, let’s meet the other kids then!’ the lady said. She tried to take Steve’s hand, but the boy refused to. He followed her downstairs. Tony followed too, but kept his distance. He didn’t want to interrupt Steve when he was making new friends. The lady introduced him to his three roommates, who looked like alright kids. They dragged Steve along to join their game, so Tony was happy. Or so he told himself. He didn’t want to leave the boy in this hell hole. Steve would never reach anything in life if he had to grow up here, but they didn’t have a choice.

 

‘He’s going to be alright,’ the lady said. ‘You should just go home, mister Stark. We’ll take care of him. He’ll get used to this life in no time. Kids are adaptable. Just come back tomorrow and you’ll see he is doing fine.

 

‘Yeah, you’re right,’ Tony said. ‘I’ll go home and see him tomorrow then.’

 

He drove home and got some work done in his workshop. He had some amazing new ideas for a new kind of Starkpad, but he couldn’t really get anything done. When he tried to write the program he made stupid mistakes in the code and when he tried to make the design, he accidently put his workshop on fire. He was really happy when Jarvis announced that lunch was ready for him. Normally he’d asked Jarvis to bring the food to his workshop, but today he wasn’t in the mood for it.

 

‘J, will you eat with me?’ Tony asked. His butler had practically raised him and they were close, but they never ate together. ‘I need to talk to someone with people skills and I can’t call Pepper. She wouldn’t understand.’

 

‘Of course, sir,’ Jarvis said as he sat down across from Tony, with his own plate of food. ‘This is about the young mister Rogers, isn’t it?’

 

‘Yeah,’ Tony sighed. ‘Pepper arranged a place for him in this orphanage, but the place was old and dirty. Steve is always sick, it’s gonna be worse in a place like that. Is it really weird that I want the best for him? The kid has been through so much already, I just want to give him everything he deserves!’

 

‘Maybe he enjoys being with kids his age,’ Jarvis said. ‘You’ll have to wait and see what he feels like tomorrow, sir.’

 

‘The room of those kids was a mess. I could see that no adult had been in there for a long time,’ Tony continued. ‘I know they need to learn to take care of themselves, but… I don’t know, he probably already took care of himself when he lived with his mother. I’m just afraid they will neglect him.’

 

Jarvis was smiling now. If he let Tony alone for too long the place would be a total mess too. His workshop showed that. But it was nice to hear that his little boy was growing up now. It took some time.

 

‘Go and see him tomorrow,’ Jarvis said again. ‘If he likes it and he will stay there, you go see him again in two weeks. You’ll see if he is neglected and if he is suffering from it. If not, you can always bring him back here. If you want, you could even adopt him, sir. It will be up to you then if he is taken care of properly then.’

 

‘I can’t do that,’ Tony groaned. ‘You’re still taking care of me, how can I take care of a kid? He’d turn out like me and I don’t want to do that to anyone.’

 

‘Sir, you took care of him for more than a week and I must say you did very well,’ Jarvis said, a smile on his face. ‘If this is what you and young mister Rogers want, then I’m sure you can work it out. It won’t always be easy though.’

 

‘You’d help me?’ Tony asked, hope in his voice. ‘Tell me if I screw up?’

 

‘Of course, sir,’ Jarvis said. ‘I won’t let the same things happen to him that happened to you. I’m not making the same mistake twice.’

 

‘Wasn’t your fault, J,’ Tony sighed. ‘Completely my own fault. But thanks, that really made me feel better about this whole orphanage thing.’

 

‘You’re welcome sir. I suggest you go back to work and try not to set anything on fire this time.’

 

Tony was incredibly nervous the next day. He was supposed to go back to the orphanage around four in the afternoon, but he just couldn’t sit still. He took one of his more subtle cars and drove to Brooklyn two hours earlier than he should. He just couldn’t help himself, he couldn’t get it out of his mind. He parked the car and tried to look as casual as possible.

 

‘Hi, I’m here to see Steve Rogers,’ he said to the guy behind the reception desk.

 

‘I’ll see if I can find him for you,’ the guy said. He stood up and walked out. Tony stood there for almost five minutes when the guy finally returned with one of the ladies who took care of the kids. The billionaire had to try his best to keep a smile on his face.

 

‘He wasn’t feeling well this morning, so he’s in his room,’ she said. ‘If you will follow me. We didn’t expect you until four.’

 

‘Really? I thought we agreed about two, but I’m sorry for the inconvenience,’ Tony lied.

 

He followed the lady up the stairs to the floor where Steve’s room was. It worried Tony that she opened two doors that led to other rooms, before she finally got the right one. It meant she didn’t check on him at all yet. Hopefully one of the others did, because when Steve was ill he shouldn’t be left alone. When Tony finally saw Steve, it felt like his heart stopped.

 

The boy was wheezing. He had a really difficult time breathing and needed his inhaler, but the thing wasn’t in sight. He was coughing, he looked pale, and he had a bruise on his face. Tony felt extremely guilty for leaving the kid behind in this place. He should have known better.

 

‘Where is your inhaler, Steve?’ he asked as he kneeled down next to the bed. When Steve pointed to the closet, Tony opened it and searched through all his stuff. He quickly gave the thing to Steve and the boy’s breathing immediately changed for the better. That was good, that was great. What wasn’t great is that he started crying and grabbed Tony’s jacket like he was never going to let go again.

 

‘What is it, big guy?’ Tony asked. ‘Don’t cry, it’s going to be alright, just tell me what’s wrong.’

 

Tony didn’t have to ask what was wrong, the kid was feeling terrible. He was in a place he didn’t know, with people he didn’t know. He was sick, he couldn’t breathe and there wasn’t anybody around to help him or to take care of him. Anyone would feel miserable.

 

‘Why didn’t he have his inhaler?’ Tony asked the lady of the orphanage.

 

‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I didn’t know he was asthmatic. No one told me.’

 

‘And when you heard him breathing like that you didn’t think to check his file? Or his bags? Anything to help him? Kids normally don’t sound like that, even I know that.’

 

‘I didn’t really have time to go check on him,’ the lady confessed. ‘We don’t have enough staff to give them much one on one attention. When one of them is sick, they stay in bed and get their meals there. If it’s bad, they get separated from their roommates.’

 

‘Steve, how did you get this bruise?’ Tony asked. ‘Did you run into something?’

 

Steve shook his head and pulled away from Tony a little, so he could talk. ‘I was playing with some kids, but I didn’t understand the game and a boy got angry with me. I asked him to tell me what to do, but he didn’t want to. He called me stupid and threw the ball at my face.’

 

‘Does it hurt?’ Tony asked as he gently touched the bruise. Steve bruised easily, but this wasn’t normal. The kid winced when Tony touched it. There was his answer.

 

‘I hit him,’ Steve confessed. ‘I got angry and I hit him.’

 

‘Yes, he got punished for that,’ the lady said. ‘I’ve been told he started a fight. He had to sit aside for half an hour.’

 

Tony felt like strangling the lady, but he couldn’t do that in front of Steve. So he slowly got up, lifted Steve in his arms and held him closely.

 

‘It’s okay, big guy, I’m not letting you stay here any longer,’ Tony promised as he grabbed his bag. With one hand he threw in the clothes, medicine and Steve’s plushy. ‘We’re going home and I’m gonna put you in bed and we’re never going to come back here again!’

 

‘Ever?’

 

‘Not ever! I’m going to adopt you.’

 

~

 

Pepper walked into the penthouse. She and Tony had an informal meeting about which direction they wanted the company to take. Pepper preferred this meetings in the office, but Tony was too lazy to get dressed, or too distracted by his engineering to remember the meeting. So she was really surprised to find Tony sitting at the huge table in his living room, fully dressed and typing away on his laptop.

 

'What's going on?' Pepper asked, one perfect eyebrow raised.

 

'Just once I remember our meeting and you get suspicious,' Tony sighed dramatically. 'I thought you'd be happy.'

 

Pepper looked around to see what was going on. She knew Tony too well, something was going on. Then she noticed it. There were several drawings pinned on the wall and there was an unfinished puzzle on the far end of the table. Those were things she saw in her own house, but not Tony's.

 

'Anthony Edward Stark, is Steve still staying here?'

 

Tony winced at the use of his full name. He had tried his very best to avoid this until he had finished all procedures of Steve's adoption. He knew Pepper would be angry, and he really didn't want to face her. It would be easier if Steve was around, then at least she wouldn't shout or say mean things about the kid.

 

'Yes, I've adopted him,' Tony answered as casually as he could.

 

Pepper sighed. 'Alright, why did you do that? Why didn't you bring him to the orphanage?'

 

'I did,' Tony defended himself. 'He got bullied and ended up with a huge bruise on his face, and he was blamed for the entire thing. The second day he was sick, but no one looked after him. He couldn't breathe and was slowly dying when I walked into that room. The lady told me she didn't know he had asthma. I brought him back here. Jarvis supports me!'

 

'You're gonna have to change,' Pepper said, still pretty calm. 'No more casual sex, no more all-nighters, no more skipping food and surviving on coffee. He is not a project Tony. You can't lose interest in him and kick him out. A child is something you have for life, it's a big decision.'

 

'I know that!' Tony said. 'I know this might be a super stupid idea, but I really like the kid and he likes me. I had the perfect example of how not to be a parent. I wanna try, Pep. Steve deserves so much better than being locked away in a concrete building where no one cares.'

 

'He likes you?' Pepper asked.

 

'You make it sound like I'm hundred percent a dick,' Tony scoffed. 'When I brought him to the orphanage he asked if he could come home again and he wasn't talking about the cave he lived in with his mother.'

 

'So even the great Tony Stark just wants to be loved,' Pepper joked. 'I'll support you, as long as you keep doing what's best for Steve. If you lose interest I'll kick your ass.'

 

'You've got my permission!' Tony laughed. 'Now let's get down to business, I gotta pick up the little squirt in an hour.'

 

~

 

A few weeks later the adoption process was finished and Steve was officially Tony's child. It was amazing how money could speed up bureaucratic things like that. He got some tests to see if he would be a good parent, and those were done very thorough, but everything else was done within days. Maybe Tony had been lucky someone came to take a look at them on a day that Steve was sick. The kid would cling to Tony whenever he was awake and Tony could show off his non existing parenting skills.

 

Not so lucky was that the man had told Steve to have a lot of fun with his new father. Tony had brought the guy to the elevator and came back to a panicking Steve. When Tony had asked him what was wrong, the kid asked if he had to call him daddy now. Tony had hugged him and told him Steve could call him whatever he wanted. Honestly, the word 'daddy' scared Tony as well.

 

It had been a week and they were doing really well. Steve had been going to kindergarten a lot and Tony went to meetings on those days. Whenever Steve was sick Tony would stay at home and build new things in his workshop. He had a camera and a microphone installed, so he could check on the kid without leaving the workshop. If something was up, Tony or Jarvis would check on him. Tony got more work done than ever and he couldn't even remember the last time he skipped a meal.

 

But the absolute best thing were the hugs. Steve was a hugger and he wrapped his arms around Tony whenever he could. He loved it the best to sit on Tony's lap as the man read him a book. He would lean into Tony, thumb in his mouth, and listen to the story he heard a hundred times before already. Tony would never admit it, but it made him feel loved.

 

Steve spend too much time with adults though, so Tony invited Pepper, Happy and Maddie over. It would be nice if the two of them could be friends, because then the parents could take turns picking them up from kindergarten.

 

Tony welcomed them into his home and directed them to the living room. Steve was drawing at the huge table, so Pepper pushed her daughter into his direction, before she followed the others to the lounge on the other side of the room. Jarvis brought them drinks and cake.

 

'Do you wanna draw?' Steve asked. 'I have more paper.'

 

'No,' Maddie said. She sat down on a chair, leaving one chair between them, and crossed her arms.

 

'Do you wanna play something else? I have Lego's and books, or if we ask Tony we can play a game on the television.'

 

'No, I don't wanna play with you,' Maddie said angry.

 

Meanwhile the adults were having coffee. Pepper and Tony were already discussing work, while Happy just enjoyed his cake. He knew when the two of them were like this it was best not to interrupt them. They were both fired up and enthusiastic about the new line of products. He was just happy they agreed this time, it could change any moment and turn their nice talk into a heavy discussion

 

They hardly finished their coffee when Maddie came running to them, crying loudly.

Pepper jumped up and pulled her daughter in her arms. 'What happened, sweetie?'

 

'He pulled my hair and he hit me!' Maddie wailed.

 

Tony slowly got up and walked to Steve. He still sat at the table, looking down at the floor. He looked guilty, but there was a handprint on his face as well.

 

'Did you pull her hair, big guy?' Tony asked, trying not to sound accusing. ‘Did you hit her?’

 

Steve nodded.

 

'You know that if something happens you don't like you should tell them 'no' or come and talk to me, right?'

 

Steve nodded again.

 

'Tony, you gotta do something!' Pepper said angry. 'He hit her!'

 

Tony stood up. 'And the handprint on his face is because he hit himself? They were fighting each other, Pep, this is not just Steve's fault. I'm not going to punish him for something they both did.'

 

They argued. Pepper said that she should have known Tony would take the easy way out when it came to raising a child, while Tony said that he knew Steve was innocent and that Pepper just wouldn't see how great Steve was. Their voices got louder and louder. When they were practically shouting Happy took his wife and daughter and gently guided them outside. It wasn't the first and probably not the last time he did this.

 

Tony sat down with a sigh. Steve had made himself really small in his chair. He was practically sitting under the table. Tony gently set him back up straight again.

 

'I'm not mad at you, Steve,' Tony started. 'Look at me. Tell me what really happened?'

 

When Steve looked up he was crying. Tony wiped the tears from his cheeks. 'She didn't want to play with me. I gave her some toys, but she didn't want them,' Steve sobbed. 'She said she didn't want to touch anything. She said she would get sick if she touched my toys, because I'm always sick. She said I made my mom sick and that's why she died. I got angry and pulled her hair. She hit me, so I hit her and she started crying.'

 

Tony was furious. He was about to call Pepper and scream at her, strangle her evil child. He was so angry that he had to take a few deep breaths before he could speak again. He didn't want to get mad again in front of the kid. Instead he pulled Steve on his lap and hugged him tightly.

 

'If someone ever says anything like that again, I want you to tell me,' Tony said. 'No more hair pulling or hitting, okay? Tell me immediately and I'll hit them for you.'

 

Steve chuckled. 'I will,' he promised. 'Will you really hit them?'

 

Tony shrugged. 'Depends who it is, but it's a really mean thing to say! It's also not true. Yes, you're sick a lot, but that's because your lungs and heart have problems. But you can't make anyone else sick with that. You can touch people and they won't get sick, alright? I promise you it was not your fault. You know the nightlight I my chest? It's because I have heart problems too. I'm always sick as well. We touched a lot, but you don't need a nightlight, do you? And I don't get bad lungs because you touch me.'

 

Steve sat back and lifted up his shirt. 'No nightlight,' he said. 'You didn't make me sick, we can still hug!'

 

Tony laughed and hugged the boy. 'I'm glad, I like hugging.'

 

'Me too,' Steve murmured in Tony's shoulder. 'I'm happy you're my new dad.'

 

Tony felt more proud than he had ever been in his life. Running an international company, being the most famous man in the country, nothing mattered anymore, because he helped this little boy.

 

'I'm glad I'm your new father too,' Tony confessed. 'And I'm going to make appointments at the best doctors and maybe we can make you better! I know going to the doctor sucks, but being sick sucks too. We're gonna make you all better.'

 

~

 

Steve had heart surgery. He was still very young, but the doctors said that his young age would help him recover faster. There was no chance that it would go wrong. The doctors had done it hundreds of times before, they knew what they were doing. Tony wouldn’t risk Steve’s life, but he wanted to do anything to give the boy a better life. Of course he had talked about it with Steve too and the kid immediately said he wanted surgery. He looked so determined with his chest puffed up and his shoulder pulled back that Tony made an appointment with the hospital.

 

Steve didn’t seem to mind that he had to stay in the hospital for a while. He had been in hospitals before. The kid dropped his books and sketchpad in the bag when Tony was packing for him, so he wouldn’t be bored. At the hospital a kind nurse brought them to a room where she gave Steve special clothes to change into. Steve asked about the a hundred questions. Why did he need operation clothes? What if he woke up when the doctor wasn’t done yet? Why did he have to stay four days? Could he get mac and cheese for dinner tonight?

 

The nurse patiently answered all of this questions with a smile on her face. Steve wasn’t scared at all to be in the place where his mother had died only a few weeks ago. Tony was just glad he didn’t have to calm the kid down or encourage him. The not-grieving-Steve could be very enthusiastic and wasn’t scared of anything. He only stopped talking when the anesthetics put him to sleep.

 

Tony pressed a kiss on Steve’s forehead before he hurried home. He had a special project going on. He was going to give Steve his own, new bedroom. He had slept in a guest room for more than a month now and he deserved a more fun place.

 

There was a lounge on the same floor as Tony's bedroom. He never used it, they always hung out in the living room, one floor below. So Tony decided to change the lounge into a bedroom for Steve. There was a bathroom next to it, which they would connect with the room. Tony had hired a bunch of guys who'd help him redecorate the place. He had to pay quite a lot, since it all had to be done in a short amount of time, but it was worth it. Tony could already picture the smile on Steve's face. He knew he shouldn't spoil the kid, but he loved to see that smile.

 

So Tony gave his orders. They first created a door from the lounge to the bathroom. They cleaned both rooms before they started to paint the walls and ceiling. They put a nice carpet on the floor before all the furniture Tony had ordered was carried in there. It was a nice project to keep Tony’s mind of the tiny boy in the big hospital bed, but he couldn’t do much without being in the way. Instead he went to the store to get Steve a small present for being so brave and having surgery.

 

He chose the bookstore instead of the toy store. More choice, less people. He searched for the children's books and suddenly felt silly. Genius, playboy, billionaire Tony Stark looking for books with fairy tales, because the kid who wormed his way into that stone heart loved stories about heroic knights the best. Tony chuckled to himself, hiding his face in a book.

 

In the end he picked two story books and five picture books. He knew it was too much, but Tony had never learned to choose. He was already holding back, he could have bought the entire kids section! He drove home and got lunch from his butler. Jarvis knew exactly how to distract him. Not that he was very hungry, but it would be a waste if he didn't eat.  He had to stick to the rules he made for Steve.

 

Just when he thought it took too long and maybe his boy had been hurt badly during the operation and they didn't dare to tell him, his phone rang. The operation was finished successfully and Steve was sleeping. Tony could come over to be there for him when he woke up.

 

Tony practically ran to his car. He threw the present inside before he jumped behind the wheel. He tried his best not to drive too fast, but he wanted to be there before Steve woke up. Tony parked in the very first empty spot he found and walked as fast as he could. When he entered the room he found Steve still sleeping. He was attached to several beeping machines. It scared Tony a little, but at the same time he was glad they kept an eye on Steve.

 

He sat down next to the bed and grabbed his phone. Tony worked until Steve was stirring. Tony grabbed his hand under the blanket and waited patiently for those blue eyes to open. He didn't have to wait long.

 

'Hey big guy, I'm so proud of you!' Tony said softly. 'How are you feeling?'

 

Steve coughed a few times before he could speak. 'I'm fine.'

 

'Yeah, the pain killers probably help a lot,' Tony said with a soft smile.

 

At that moment a nurse walked in. She checked on Steve, helped him up, and gave him some water. He gulped it down. Now that he was sitting he noticed the present on the table.

 

'Is it for me?' he asked as he pointed at it.

 

'Yes,' Tony said with a grin. 'Want to open it?'

 

'Yes!' Steve said happily. He ripped the paper off and he cheered when he saw the books. 'Read this one! Read this one! It's about a knight and a horse!'

 

Tony laughed. He took the books and put them aside except for the one Steve had chosen. He pulled his chair closer to the bed and started reading. Halfway through the second story Steve had fallen asleep.

 

It continued like that the rest of the day. Tony worked whenever Steve was sleeping and he read stories or played games when the boy was awake. A nurse brought their food and they ate. Steve wasn't hungry, but Tony told him that he needed to be strong if he wanted to go home soon. Four days was long enough already. Steve agreed, so he ate a little. Tony counted it as a small success.

 

Leaving Steve was easier than expected. For Steve that was. He was asleep when the nurse came to send Tony home. He kissed his forehead again and placed the picture books in his reach. He wouldn't be bored when he woke up. With a heavy heart Tony left. He couldn’t believe how attached he got to the skinny kid.

 

The next day was practically the same, except that those beeping machines were no longer necessary. It was a lot less intimidating for Tony, who still had nightmares about the surgery in his own chest sometimes. It had been in a cave, no machines at all, but this made him remember.

 

The third day they had a problem. Tony had a problem. He was suddenly called away for a meeting, even though he had made perfectly clear that he had other businesses to attend these four days. There was something going on at Stark industries and the shareholders had to come together, right now.

 

Tony was shouting through his phone, while pacing through the room on his socks. He was wearing ripped jeans and an old shirt, not ready for a meeting, not in the mood for a meeting. Pepper wanted him to send his nanny to Steve, but Tony had never needed a nanny before and didn't even pick one yet.

 

'Sir,' Jarvis interrupted. 'I can go and visit him. You can join us when the meeting is over.'

For a few seconds Tony didn't say anything. Jarvis could hear Pepper speak on the other side, asking if Tony was still there.

 

'Yeah, alright, I'll be there in ten minutes,' the billionaire promised before he hung up and ran to this bedroom. 'Thanks J, I owe you! Take whichever car you like!'

 

Tony had never been so focused in a meeting. He was listening and discussing and anything to get to a solution as soon as possible. They reached a decision within two hours. Pepper was proud of him, but he had no time to listen to her compliments, he was already on his way out.

 

In his suit, with expensive shoes, and neat hair he moved through the hospital as fast as he could without running. He could already hear Steve laughing when he reached the hall. Tony couldn't stop a smile as he walked in. Jarvis was telling stories animatedly, using voices and doing weird movements. They both looked up when Tony entered the room.

 

'Ah, sir, we need a few more voices, maybe you can help us?'

 

'Yes!' Steve said enthusiastically as he hugged Tony. 'Do voices too!'

 

Tony ended up walking around, acting like a monster in his Armani suit until Steve's stomach hurt from laughing.

 

The fourth day Tony could finally take Steve back home. They waited patiently until the doctor came in and bring the good news.

 

'All test results are positive,' the doctor explained. 'You can go home today, but don't move too much. He still needs a lot of rest the first week. After that he'll have to come back for a checkup. If everything is still looking fine by then, he can go back to school. No running or other wild activities though.'

 

‘Will do, doc,’ Tony said. ‘Thank you very much.’

 

‘Thank you,’ Steve said as well as he shook the doctor’s hand. Such a polite boy. Tony hoped he wouldn’t ruin that. He almost regretted giving him an entire new room. He’d had to be more strict in the future! Tony chuckled, like he could do that!

 

‘Why are you laughing?’ Steve asked curious.

 

‘I was laughing because I have a surprise for you when we get home,’ Tony said.

 

‘Another present?’ Steve asked, his eyes wide and sparkling.

 

‘Yes, something like that,’ Tony agreed. ‘You’ll see.’

 

Tony had to stop Steve from running into Stark Tower. He was so excited to be home again and he was so much looking forward to his present, that he couldn’t wait. Tony held his hand, so he wouldn’t run. He wasn’t allowed to run. He still had asthma as well, he shouldn’t run.

 

‘Hurry up! Hurry up!’ Steve commanded. He started laughing when Tony picked him up and started running with Steve in his arms. They made their way to the elevator and in no time they were in the penthouse. Tony put Steve back on the ground and took him to the floor with his bedroom. Steve kept asking questions, but Tony just smiled and didn’t answer any of them, until they stood in front of the room. Steve’s name was written in curly letters on the door. Steve couldn’t read, but he recognized them.

 

‘That’s my name!’ he said surprised.

 

‘It is,’ Tony said. ‘Open the door.’

 

Steve slowly opened the door and he gasped when he looked inside. Everything was painted in his favorite shades of blue and there were stars everywhere. There were pictures on his wall, some posters and some of his own drawings. His toys were everywhere and his books were all on the shelf. All his clothes, plus a ton of new clothes, were in the closet. Everything looked amazing. Even Tony was surprised. He hadn’t seen the result either. Steve ran inside and Tony stopped him just in time from jumping on the bed.

 

‘Easy there, big guy!’ Tony laughed. ‘The doctor said you couldn’t run, so don’t be wild. When you’re fully better you can jump on the bed, I promise.’

 

Steve crawled in Tony’s arms. ‘Thank you! I love you, daddy!’

 

Tony held his breath for a few seconds. He always feared the moment people would say those three words to him. They always stopped loving him one day, he always messed up. But Steve had called him daddy. Tony’s heart was beating fast and he felt weird. A good kind of weird.

 

‘I love you too, Steve.’

 

~

 

‘There have been rumors going around,’ Tony said at a press conference Pepper arranged for him. ‘Rumors that I have a child. I’ve heard plenty of names of girls you think I ever shared a bed with and who could be the mother. I can tell you, none of those rumors are true. Yes, I do have a child, a six-year old boy, but he is not an accident from my past. He is the best choice I ever made in my life.’

 

‘I was there when his mother collapsed. He already lost his father years before that. I was the only one around and when his mother was brought to the hospital, I took care of him. She died the next day. He stayed with me until the funeral and I was planning on putting him in an orphanage, but that wasn’t a place for a child with so many health problems. I adopted him. I know you’re all going to say that it was a stupid thing to do and that a child doesn’t suit my lifestyle, but I think I’ve changed.’

 

‘With me he can have a good life, I want to give him everything he deserves. One of those things is that he won’t be followed by the press all the time, always hiding from cameras. So I want to tell you all to leave him alone. He is only a child, and you know the story now. If I ever see a single picture of him in a newspaper or a magazine, I will find the person who made it and published it and ruin them and the company they work for.’

 

‘Thank you for your attention, I hope I have been clear.’

 

~

 

'It's your birthday in two weeks,' Tony said to his son. 'Who do you want to come over for the party? We can invite whomever you want, no need to hold back.'

 

'You!' Steve said.

 

'I'm gonna be there, big guy,' Tony laughed. 'But I'm glad you still want me around. Not going to be the same in ten years. Who else?'

 

'Mister Jarvis.'

 

'He works here and we need all the help we can get, so he'll be here too. I was talking about your friends,' Tony explained patiently.

 

'Mrs Pepper?' Steve asked. He and Pepper got along pretty well when Maddie was minding her own business.

 

'I can invite her if you want to,' Tony agreed. 'But what about your school friends? Any boys or girls in your class you'd like to invite as well? I know you're only going there for a few months yet, but you must have made some friends.'

 

Steve shook his head. His lip was pouting and he refused to look at Tony. Tony crouched down next to him, so they were at eye level.

 

'It's alright,' he said. 'It will be okay. Are they bullying you? Are they being mean to you?'

 

'Sometimes,' Steve muttered. 'They laugh because I'm small or because I can't catch the ball. They don't want me on their team. I don't want them at my party, I don't like them.'

 

'We're definitely not inviting them then!'' Tony stated. 'Is that why you fight sometimes? Because they're being mean to you?'

 

Steve shook his head. 'Only when they're bullying other kids. It's not fair, so I help them.'

 

'That's really sweet of you,' Tony agreed. 'But try not to fight them, okay? I don't want you to get hurt, big guy. I don't like it when you have bruises. Try to help in another way, alright? I'll talk to your teacher tomorrow.'

 

Steve didn't look too happy, but he didn't protest. So the next day Tony took one of his less flashy cars and drove to school. He didn't want to attract attention to Steve. Not everyone had to know Tony Stark's kid went to this school. Tony parked his car and waited for the school to go out. When the bell rang the kids came running out and went home. Tony stepped inside and walked to Steve's class. He smiled when he saw his boy struggling with his coat.

 

'The weather is nice, no need to put it on, big guy,' Tony said as he took the coat from him. 'Go play outside until I'm done, alright? It might only take a minute. Just don't leave on your own. Wait for me.'

 

'Which car did you bring?' Steve asked.

 

'The grey Chevrolet,' Tony said. He liked that his kid liked cars almost as much as he did. 'The big one. You can't miss it.'

 

Tony walked into the classroom and  cleared his throat to get the teacher's attention. He smiled friendly at her as she looked up. He never heard any complaints from Steve, so she probably was a good teacher. Just a few years younger than Tony and not bad looking. Old Tony would have hit on her, but daddy Tony wouldn't do that, for Steve's sake.

 

'Hi, I'm Steve's father,' he said. 'I hoped we could make an appointment to talk about him. I have some questions.'

 

'Mister Rogers, I'm glad my letters finally reached you,' she said.

 

'Oh, no, my name is Stark, Steve is adopted and still has his own name,' Tony said. 'Isn't that in his file? Also, I didn't get any letters.'

 

'I suspected as much,' the teacher said with a sigh. 'Steve doesn't really want to talk about things with me, so I doubt he likes it when we're talking about him without him around. I gave him a letter, twice, to invite you. He must have thrown them out.'

 

Tony sighed. 'He tries to deal with everything himself. What was it you wanted to talk to me about? Do you have some time right now?'

 

'Yes, of course, please sit down.

 

The teacher explained that Steve was pretty mature for his age and because of that he couldn't really connect with any of his classmates. But because he was so small, the others thought he was young and dumb and that he didn’t understand their jokes and games. They teased him because of that. She explained that Steve let it happen and pretended he didn't care. She stopped them when she noticed, of course, but Steve never came to tell her about it. He calmly accepted it and just continued whatever he was doing. If they dared to tease any of the other kids though, Steve jumped into action and hit or kick the bullying kid until the teacher separated them.

 

'Steve is very protective,' Tony agreed. 'He doesn't accept it when someone is negative about me, or worse, his mother. He's been through a lot. Does he really not have any friends?'

 

'Not in his class,' the teacher said. 'But one grade up there is a boy he plays with during lunch break.  James Barnes, but I think he wants to be called Bucky. The boy isn't doing well, he has some problems in his orphanage, so he missed class a lot. He probably won't move on to the next class, but stay instead. I'll try to see if he and Steve can get into the same class. They both need a friend.'

 

'That would be nice,' Tony said. 'I'll talk to him about the fighting. Thank you very much for your time.'

 

Tony shook her hand before he walked out. He found Steve sitting with his back against the car, a sketchbook on his lap. He put everything away when he noticed Tony approaching.

 

'Was she angry?' Steve asked.

 

'Not at all,' Tony said as he got them both in the car. 'She told me you're one of the best readers in class and that your writing is very neat. I'm very proud of you.'

 

'Thank you,' Steve said, beaming happily.

 

Tony drove them home. 'But we think you should try to stop fighting. I know you're trying to help others and that's really kind of you, but I don't like to see you get hurt for no reason, okay? Try to talk about it, or tell your teacher.'

 

‘But ma said not to tolerate bullies,’ Steve said. ‘They’re being mean!’

 

‘I know,’ Tony answered. ‘But I’m pretty sure your mom didn’t want you to beat up kids for being mean. When you see they’re bullying other kids, just go to your teacher and tell her. That will help a lot more.’

 

‘Alright,’ Steve agreed. ‘I’ll tell a teacher.’

 

'Good,' Tony said as they got into the elevator. 'So, would you like it if we'd invite Bucky over for your birthday and go to Disneyland?'

 

Steve's eyes widened as he looked at Tony. 'Really?' he asked.

 

'Yeah, Bucky is your friend, right?' Tony asked. 'It's your birthday, so we do what you like and invite the people you want.'

 

Two skinny arms were wrapped around Tony's waist and a head was buried in his belly.

 

'Thank you,' Steve said happily.

 

~

 

'Pepper, I need help! Where do you take kids on vacation?' Tony asked. 'I've been thinking about a cultural tour through Europe, since he likes art, or maybe a tropical island? Do you think Steve would like to see wild animals in Africa, since he loves the zoo? Should I take him through the states? I don't wanna leave him in one of those camps, you know. He is awkward around other kids, I want him to have fun.'

 

Pepper laughed. 'Tony, Steve has probably never been on vacation ever in his life, he would love anything, even if it's simple. You can't watch him all the time during summer break! You have to work. If you don't like camps, hire a nanny.'

 

'Jarvis is the nanny and he needs a vacation too,' Tony sighed.

 

'Then it's even easier to come up with something,' Pepper said. 'Just go to your house in Malibu for a few weeks. Take Jarvis. On the days you have to work he will watch Steve, on the other days you’ll watch him and Jarvis can enjoy his free time. Kids love the beach, Steve will have a great time.'

 

'Pepper, you are brilliant, have I ever told you that? Brilliant!'

 

'You’ve told me,' Pepper chuckled. 'Have fun in Malibu.'

 

Pepper had been right. Steve had never been on vacation, let alone a plane, so he was super excited. His ears hurt when they departed, but once they were up in the air Steve was okay. For an hour he looked at the clouds and the tiny cities below, pointing, and talking about everything he saw. He got his sketchpad out and drew everything he saw. After a while he got bored and played a few games on the Starkpad Tony brought for him. Tony was working and Jarvis was taking a nap. They were all really happy to arrive though. In New York it had been raining, but when they got out of the plane, the sun was shining on their faces.

 

‘Oh man, I missed this,’ Tony moaned.

 

‘What did you miss?’ Steve asked curiously.

 

‘The sun!’ Tony said happily. ‘Here the sun is always shining! I have another house around here, but we couldn’t go there before, because of school and work. But we’ll be staying here for a few weeks, so we’re going to enjoy the sun for a long time before we have to go back!’

 

‘I’ll miss Bucky,’ Steve sighed. ‘We played with each other every day.’

 

‘Maybe we can invite him over next year,’ Tony said. ‘But this year it’s going to be the three of us. Pepper and her family will come over as well, sometime next week.’

 

Steve frowned. He really didn’t like Maddie. Tony couldn’t blame him, he didn’t like her either. She and Steve always ended up fighting. Steve would always confess and admit what he had done, but Maddie would act like she was perfectly innocent. Thankfully Pepper knew better now and had her ways to make her daughter tell the truth. She could be a super strict mother. Tony knew all about that.

 

‘It’s a really big house, big guy,’ Tony said. ‘You don’t have to see her if you don’t want to and we’ll be going out to do fun things, so you don’t have to see her at all. Do you like the beach?’

 

‘I don’t know,’ Steve confessed. ‘I’ve never been to the beach. My ma didn’t have a car and we didn’t have money for the train.’

 

‘Then it will be your first time on the beach!’ Tony said. ‘We have our very own beach at the house. Come one, jump in the car, we’re going to take a look.’

 

Tony got behind the wheel and drove them to his Malibu house. He drove his convertible, while Jarvis drove in a bigger car, with all the suitcases. Tony opened the roof and made the long, boring drive into a nice experience for Steve. The kid loved the wind in his hair. Too soon they arrived at the house. It looked exactly like the last time Tony had been there. The caretakers had done a good job. Jarvis was already bringing in the suitcases, while Tony gave Steve a small tour.

 

‘There is a pool!’ Steve said when he looked out of the window of his bedroom.

 

‘Yes, there is a pool,’ Tony grinned. ‘Do you like swimming? I bought you some swimming trunks, so you can dive in if you want.’

 

‘I can’t swim,’ Steve said. ‘Is the water very deep?’

 

‘Oh, right, of course, you can’t swim,’ Tony muttered to himself. ‘Yes, it’s pretty deep, but it’s alright. I’ll ask Jarvis to buy us some floaties and I’ll teach you how to swim. Just don’t go to close to the pool when you’re not wearing floaties, alright? Promise me.’

 

‘I promise,’ Steve said. ‘It’s dangerous, right?’

 

‘Very!’ Tony said. ‘So you have to be careful.’

 

Tony told Steve to unpack, while he went to ask Jarvis about something to help Steve with not drowning. Of course Jarvis had thought about it and already bought some things, being the thoughtful man he was. Meanwhile Steve, didn’t get much unpacking done. He was eager to go to the beach. He wouldn’t let Tony finish unpacking either, begging his father to take him out. So Jarvis told them to go, he would take care of the house and the clothes, while they would explore the beach.

 

When Tony stepped in the hot sand he remembered how much he loved the place. Seeing Steve run around in the sand and pulling off his shoes to dip his feet in the water made it even better. They played together for hours, until Jarvis called them for dinner. There was sand everywhere, even in Steve’s underwear. He had absolutely enjoyed every minute of it.

 

In the first week Tony worked a lot. Jarvis took Steve to the beach, into the city where there was a huge playground, or just outside to play games and relax. Tony worried that Steve would be bored, but the kid found new ways to enjoy himself every time. It also helped that he was sick less often these days, so he didn't have to stay in bed anymore.

 

Tony would finish his days early and every day, before dinner, he and Steve spent an hour in the pool to teach him how to swim. Steve was a quick learner, so by the end of the week he was able to move himself around, but with the floaties still on his arms. Tony promised he would teach him how to float without them the next week. The second week it was Tony's turn to babysit, so they would have more time for swimming lessons.

 

Pepper and her family showed up the second week. Jarvis had prepared rooms for them before he started his week off. Tony had booked him a hotel, because when the butler was around Tony and Steve he would start working automatically. With Pepper and Happy around they could all take their turns with cooking and cleaning. Jarvis deserved some time off.

 

Steve missed him though. The first day Pepper arrived Tony was really happy and welcomed them into his home. They were talking and drinking colorful drinks in the garden, so Steve knew not to interrupt. He settled on a chair next to the pool and started drawing. He drew the pool, the sky, the beach, and the trees. He drew everything he saw. He drew himself and Tony in the pool. Tony in his red and gold swimming trunks and himself in red, white and blue ones.

 

He really loved the drawing. When they would get back home, he would put it on the wall. His memory wall with all the fun things they had done. Like his father made pictures of everything that he hung in the kitchen, on the fridge. His dad called it great memories that he wanted to remember forever. There was also a picture of Steve's ma on the fridge. Steve missed his ma, he wished she could be here with him and enjoy all the fun things Tony did. Tony was a great new dad, ma would have liked him.

 

'That is stupid!' Maddie said.

 

Steve was startled. He was so engrossed in his work he hadn't heard her coming. She had been in the garden, on the other side of the house, with the adults. 'It's not stupid!' he defended his work.

 

'It is! Trees are supposed to be green! You made them look weird! You are stupid,' Maddie exclaimed. 'Mister Tony's swimming trunks are red, you did it all wrong!'

 

Steve looked at the view and at his drawing. The trees looked exactly the same to him. And dad's trunks were exactly that color. He knew they were!

 

'I didn't do it wrong,' Steve said, but not as convinced this time.

 

'Yes you did,' Maddie said. She took the sketchbook and threw it in the pool.

 

'No!' Steve shouted. He walked to the edge of the pool and watched his sketchbook sink. He tried to grab it, but it was too far down already.  Steve was about to get up again, ready to yell at the girl, when he felt two hands against his back. A slight push was enough to make Steve tumble in the water. He gasped for air, but gulped down a lot of water instead. He tried to grab the side of the pool, but it was too far for his short arms to reach. He tried his best to do the movements his dad had told him, but he couldn't float.

 

After a minute of struggling Maddie realized Steve was drowning. She ran to the garden with tears in her eyes.

 

'Steve is in the pool!'

 

Tony didn't ask any questions. He jumped up and ran to the pool as fast as he could. He saw Steve struggling, his head going under water. Tony didn't hesitate as he jumped in and grabbed his son. He held him above the water and carried him to the less deep part of the pool, so he could stand. There he carefully put Steve on land. Steve was coughing up water. Pepper helped him sit up until Tony climbed out of the pool as well.

 

Tony sat down next to Steve and held him. He patted his back and helped him to get all the water out of his body. Only when Steve was breathing normally again, he started crying. Tony pulled him on his lap and said that it was alright. Everything was alright.

 

'Tell me what happened and don't you dare lying, young lady!' Pepper commanded.

 

Maddie started to cry even louder. 'I'm sorry!' she sobbed. 'I didn't know he couldn't swim. I'm really sorry! I'm so sorry mama!'

 

'Just tell me what happened, sweetheart,' Pepper said, calmer this time, kneeling down next to her daughter. The little girl told her the entire story and when they asked Steve if it was true, he nodded and pointed to the pool.

 

'I made a drawing for the memory wall,' he said. He was no longer crying, but his voice was still shaky.

 

Tony dove in once again and picked the sketchbook up from the bottom. The colors were running and the drawing was one big mess, but Tony could still vaguely see what it was supposed to be.

 

'We'll buy you a new book tomorrow and you'll just make the drawing again,' Tony said. 'This is really beautiful, I think it would look great on the memory wall.'

 

'Madeline will buy you a new sketchbook,' Happy said. 'With her own money. It's the least she can do.'

 

Pepper and Tony agreed, but Pepper made clear she wouldn't get away with it that easily. More punishment was waiting for her.

 

Tony picked up the sketchbook and lifted Steve to his feet. He was about to get the boy into dry clothes when he noticed something.

 

'Is this what you see, big guy?' he asked.

 

Steve nodded and explained where he had been sitting and what he had drawn.

 

'Pepper, look at this,' Tony said, showing her the drawing.

 

'He is colorblind,' she noted.

 

'Is that bad?' Steve asked worriedly.

 

'No,' Tony said, a small smile on his face. 'Not at all. You see colors differently than we do. That's alright. My swimming trunks, I told you they were red, right? We see another color red than you do, that's why Madeline was surprised.'

 

'So I did it wrong?' Steve asked. 'Can I never draw again?'

 

'Don't be silly!' Tony said. 'You should draw as much as you like! It's beautiful. We get to see things the way you see them, that is amazing.'

 

Steve was smiling proudly. 'I'll draw it again tomorrow.'

 

'Good,' Tony said. 'We'll do another swimming lesson tomorrow too, but for now, let's get changed in dry clothes and play a game.'

 

~

 

Tony had gotten tired of his right hand. He hadn’t had sex ever since Steve wiggled his way into Tony’s life, two years ago. Tony hadn’t been without sex for that long since he was fifteen! He was still young, he was only halfway in his thirties, he really shouldn’t be without sex for so long! It was his own fault, not Steve’s. He didn’t want to bring any men or women home and make the kid think he’d get another parent. Steve would get either angry or super happy and relationships never worked out for Tony, so when his partner would leave Steve would again either be angry or super happy. Either way, Steve would end up angry or sad and he didn’t want to risk that, the kid still had nightmares about the death of his mother.

 

Pepper had been trying to talk him into finding a life partner, someone who could help him taking care of Steve. She wanted him to marry, a woman if possible. It would be good for the kid. Tony had flat out refused. Sure, he wouldn’t mind a nice lady by his side all the time, but not for Steve’s sake. The kid had lived for six years with his single mother, he would survive living with a single dad. Things had gone great the last two years, but Steve wasn’t ready yet to replace his mom.

 

It was time for change. Tony was going out tonight and he was going to bring someone home. Steve wouldn’t have to know, he could keep it a secret. Whomever the lucky person was who got to go home with him would have to leave without breakfast. Tony couldn’t risk Steve seeing him or her and asking embarrassing questions. Today was the day!

 

So Tony told Jarvis he was going out. The butler knew exactly what he was talking about, but didn’t say a word about it. He just offered to take care of Steve that night and asked if it was necessary to move the young mister Rogers to one of the guest rooms. Tony had said it was alright. When Steve slept you could have a party in his room and he still wouldn’t wake up. It was all going to be perfectly fine. Jarvis only had to make sure Steve was going to sleep. He had done that before, he could do it again.

 

That night Tony dressed up nicely, trying to look a little younger than he actually was. He was going to a club and the average visitor was in his late twenties, Tony didn’t want to stand out, or attract any weirdoes with a father’s complex. Steve was watching him from the big bed.

 

‘Do you have a meeting?’ he asked curiously. Tony only ever dressed up when he had a meeting.

 

‘Yes, something like that, big guy,’ Tony said as he pulled on a jacket. ‘It’s important, so Jarvis is going to look after you tonight. Promise me you’re going to be a good boy. No drawing on the walls this time!’

 

‘I promise,’ Steve said. ‘Will you be home late?’

 

‘Yes,’ Tony said as he took one last look in the mirror. He looked perfect. He turned around and kissed Steve on top of his head. ‘I’m sorry. Jarvis will put you in bed and when you wake up tomorrow morning, I’ll be back.’

 

Steve nodded. ‘Good luck with the meeting.’

 

‘Thank you,’ Tony said, trying to be cheerful, but deep inside he felt a little guilty. His guilt was completely gone by the time he walked into the club though. The music was nice, not too loud, but still too loud to have any real conversations. That wasn’t why Tony was there. There was no need for talking.

 

He walked straight to the bar and ordered himself a beer. He longed for something stronger, but he hadn’t touched alcohol in a long time and he didn’t want to be too drunk to get anything done. So he finished his beer at the bar and ordered another one. He turned to face the club. He checked out the people that were partying around him and it didn’t take long before he made eye contact with a very good looking woman.  She made her way over to him and he offered her a drink.

 

They chatted a little, exchanged names, and soon ended up on the dance floor. Things got more heated up there by the minute. People noticed them and more girls joined them. Tony almost forgot how easy it was to be Tony Stark at times. A lot of women, and some of the men, were practically throwing themselves at his feet. At least four of them were trying to grind their hips against his. Tony was not complaining.

 

He could only pick one though, so after a couple of more drinks, he decided to take the first women that had approached him home. He moved his hands over her body until they ended on her hips. His dick stirred as she grinded her ass against his crotch, so he dragged her off the dance floor. No words were needed as he took her to his car and drove them to the tower.

 

Tony didn’t turn on any lights as they walked in, he didn’t accidently wanted to wake a certain someone. He also refused to take any of the woman’s clothes off before they were in the bedroom, even though she offered. There couldn’t be any evidence. Inside the bedroom he guided her to the bed and pushed her onto it. He crawled onto it as well and started to take off her clothes. She took off his jacket and shirt as well, but he stopped her as she tried to take off his tank top. He had specially designed it, no light came through.

 

She didn’t seem to mind and moved her hands to his belt and started taking off his pants. They ended up somewhere on the floor. Tony moved his hands under her skirt and took off the annoying piece of clothing. He grinded their crotches together for a few seconds before he was about to take off her underwear. At that moment there was a cry and fists were slamming on the door. Tony almost fell off the bed. Steve had woken up.

 

‘Fuck,’ he whispered as he quickly got up and ran to the door. ‘Right back!’ He opened the door, got out, and closed it behind him again.

 

‘Hey, big guy, what is wrong?’ he asked when he found Steve crying in the hallway. All the adrenaline and lust gone now that he saw the shaking little ball leaning with his back against the wall, legs pulled up, face hidden in his arms. Tony pulled him up on his feet, so he could look at him. ‘No need to cry, I’m here.’

 

‘Your door was locked,’ Steve said with a small voice. ‘I thought you were gone.’

 

‘I’m sorry,’ Tony said. ‘I did that without thinking, it won’t happen again. Did you have a nightmare? Come on, I’ll get you back to bed. It’s really late.’

 

He took Steve’s hand and pulled him to the bed and tugged him in. Steve grabbed his arm before he could leave.

 

‘I don’t want to be alone.’

 

Of course he didn’t. He probably dreamed that his new father would never come back, or died. Tony had to show that he was there for him and that nothing was going to happen. Five minutes. Five minutes was probably enough to get Steve back to sleep, and Tony could return to his own room. Maybe the pretty lady could help him get interested again.

 

Steve tugged at Tony’s tank top. ‘I want the nightlight,’ he said.

 

Tony took his tank top off and dropped it next to the bed. He’d have to put it back on when he would leave. Steve was allowed see the arc reactor in his chest, but no one else would have to know. Tony pulled Steve against his chest and wrapped his arms around him.

 

‘Shh, it’s alright,’ he whispered. ‘Go back to sleep, I’m right here.’

 

Tony fell asleep before Steve did.

 

He also woke up before Steve did, which didn’t happen very often, but he probably unconsciously knew something was wrong. It took him a few minutes to realize that he was in Steve’s bed and then he suddenly remembered what had happened the night before. Steve was sprawled half on top of Tony, so Tony carefully slipped out of bed, not waking his son. He picked his tank top from the floor and put it on before he hurried to the kitchen.

 

‘J, I have a real big problem!’ Tony groaned. ‘Steve was crying last night, so I went to put him back in bed. I fell asleep with him and I think there is still a woman in my bedroom, who didn’t really get what she came for.’

 

Jarvis didn’t seem very surprised. He simply shook his head and handed his boss a cup of coffee. ‘I will go and check on her and see if I can make sure Steve will not see her, sir.’

 

‘Thank you so much, J, I really messed up again,’ Tony sighed as he downed his coffee and got himself another cup. He sat down at the kitchen table and rubbed his temples. He was a coward, but he really didn’t want to deal with that woman right now. He didn’t even remember her name.

 

Not even a minute later said woman stormed into the kitchen, thankfully dressed, and hit Tony in the face.

 

‘You fucking asshole!!’ she shouted as she wiped Tony’s cup off the table. The hot coffee almost ended up in Tony’s crotch, but he jumped aside just in time. ‘You left me waiting for hours! You didn’t even tell me you had a kid!’

 

‘Everyone knows I have a kid,’ Tony defended himself. ‘I didn’t think he’d wake up. I fell asleep when I tried to help him get rid of his nightmares. I’m sorry about that. Can’t you just leave now, please? I don’t want him to get involved in this.’

 

‘Too fucking late,’ she hissed. She was about to hit Tony in the face, when someone kicked her shin.  Of course it was Steve, always fighting back.

 

‘Don’t hit my dad!’ he yelled at her, looking furious. He might be tiny, but he wasn’t easily intimidated. ‘He didn’t do anything wrong. He is the best father in the world. You can’t hit him!’

 

‘Steve, you can’t kick people either,’ Tony said, but he had an amused smile on his face. ‘Apologize to her.’

 

Steve crossed his arms and shook his head. ‘She is mean.’

 

The woman didn’t really know what to say or do, so she angrily walked out of the kitchen and slammed the door behind her. Tony started laughing the moment the door was closed. Steve looked really surprised at his father.

 

‘Why are you laughing?’ he asked, a bit unsure.

 

‘You’re great, big guy,’ Tony chuckled. ‘Thank you for standing up for me. Next time, don’t use violence, okay? That lady is never allowed in our house again, so don’t be angry anymore.’

 

‘I don’t like her,’ Steve said, before he sat down on Tony’s lap.

 

‘Me neither,’ Tony agreed. ‘So, do you want waffles for breakfast?’

 

~

 

'Steven Grant Rogers, get your ass back home, right now!' Tony said through the phone. He tried to hold back, but he was angry! He had made very clear that he didn't want Steve to go to the mall. He was too young, it was too far away. He was too young, Tony didn't want him to hang out with girls yet, not like that! He was only eleven!

 

It was all because of Bucky. When he and Steve were together they often ended up in trouble. Most of the time it were just small things, so Tony didn't mind much, but they had clear rules about the mall. This was something he didn't tolerate. Steve had always been such a sweet boy, so easy to take care off, so polite, but now that he was growing older their stubbornness clashed now and then.

 

Angrily he stomped into the kitchen and grabbed a  drink from the fridge. He ignored the knowing smile Jarvis had on his face.

 

'Sir, he is still a lot easier to take care of than you were at this age.'

 

'I know J, I know!' Tony sighed. 'But I really don't want him get into trouble. I don't want him to become like me.'

 

'I don't think you have to worry,' Jarvis said. 'He is a nice boy and you're doing a great job in raising him. He loves you, so talk to him. He would never do anything to hurt you. He just has to understand your point of view.'

 

'I'll try,' Tony promised. 'He's more reasonable than I ever was.'

 

Tony waited impatiently. It seemed to take forever until he finally heard the elevator move. He stood up, crossed his arms and waited for the doors to open. Steve glared at him as he walked into the room. It looked adorable, being the puppy he was, but Tony took his anger seriously and he was seriously too angry to find the kid cute at the moment.

 

‘You’re not going out after school tomorrow,’ Tony said. ‘Jarvis will pick you up.’

 

‘Why can’t I go to the mall?!’ Steve asked angrily. ‘Bucky can go to the mall, I’m there with him and we’re always coming back home together. There is nothing dangerous there.’

 

‘You can’t go because I told you so,’ Tony said. ‘I think you’re too young, and even if Bucky is older, I don’t want you to go there. Maybe next year.’

 

‘Bucky could already go there last year,’ Steve complained. ‘No one is ever telling him he can’t go there.’

 

‘No, because Bucky is living in an orphanage and nobody cares about what happens to him,’ Tony said. ‘I do actually care, and that’s why you can’t go.’

 

‘Maybe you should have left me in an orphanage as well!’ Steve hissed before he stormed off to his room.

 

Tony stood there, not moving at all. He and Steve had arguments before, but he never said anything like that before. Tony didn’t know what to do. It hurt. Fuck, it hurt like hell. He suddenly understood what he put Jarvis through all those years. That hurt even more, now he didn’t only feel betrayed, but also guilty. He turned on his heels and walked back to the kitchen.

 

‘I fucked up,’ he said as he dropped down on one of the chairs. ‘I’m so sorry for everything stupid I ever did, J. You must have felt like shit all the time.’

 

‘I heard what happened, sir,’ Jarvis said. ‘And I’m glad you finally see what you did, but you did not mess up. He’ll be back when he will realize what he has said. Steve is a clever boy.’

 

‘I don’t think so, J, not this time,’ Tony groaned. ‘I should have known I would be a shitty father. I spoiled him way too much. Fuck, he is only eleven!’

 

Tony held a short monologue about how much he sucked as a father and Jarvis listened patiently, encouraging him and giving him advice whenever he deemed it necessary. He offered a cup of very strong coffee and that seemed to help a little. It actually calmed Tony down. A lifetime of too much coffee did that too him. That changed the moment Steve walked into the kitchen. Jarvis discretely left.

 

‘I’m sorry,’ Steve mumbled. ‘I don’t want to live in an orphanage, I wanna live with you, dad. You’re not gonna put me in an orphanage, are you?’

 

‘I’m sorry too,’ Tony said as he pulled Steve in a hug. ‘And I’d never put you in an orphanage again. That place sucked big time. Just wait a little longer before you go to the mall, alright? There are a lot of older teens hanging around there and I don’t want them to bother you yet.’

 

‘We were going to play games in the park,’ Steve said. ‘On my console. But it rained, so Bucky said we should go to the mall, because it was dry there.’

 

Tony smiled. His lovely, little, innocent boy. He hadn’t fucked up. Not yet, at least.

 

‘If you want have a dry place to play games you could come over here,’ Tony offered. ‘Even if you don’t want to come up, you could play in the garage or something. Any place is fine. Just not the mall yet, alright?’

 

‘Alright,’ Steve agreed. ‘I love you, dad.’

 

~

 

‘I really don’t like him,’ Steve groaned as he got home and threw his bag on a table in Tony’s workshop. Tony was busy working on some new project, but he put it aside as he saw Steve sulk. The kid had dragged a big, comfortable chair to the workshop years ago, and he still used it whenever he came to hang out with his father there.

 

‘Who?’ Tony asked as he rolled his chair closer to Steve’s. The blond boy was still small and scrawny, even though he was in his first year of high school already. Tony secretly liked it, he could still hug him easily, if he felt like it.

 

‘My art teacher. He gave me a C, because he didn’t like the colors of my painting,’ Steve explained. ‘I told him I’m colorblind, but he still refused to change my grade. He said the blue and greens are very artistic, but he has seen it by now and he wants me to do something different. I tried something in black and white, but said it was boring. He likes my ideas, but he wants more color. I don’t know how to do that, because I don’t know if the other colors match.’

 

‘Did you take a picture?’ Tony asked.

 

Steve showed him his phone, and Tony looked at the picture. It was amazing. The kid was only twelve, but he was good. Tony didn’t know much about art, but these ideas were original and very well executed. The entire penthouse was filled with Steve’s paintings, one even better than the other, and Tony didn’t want some dumb teacher tell his son that he wasn’t good. That man should encourage Steve, and tell him how he could change things for himself.

 

‘I think it’s amazing,’ Tony said. ‘It would look great in Pepper’s office. Do you want me to talk to your teacher?’

 

Steve shook his head. ‘It’s nog going to help. Can you tell me which colors look good together?’

 

‘No,’ Tony said. ‘But we’re going to do some tests. I want to know what colors you can, and which you can’t see. That will make it easier for others to understand how difficult it is for you.’

 

Steve nodded. ‘Alright, right now? Because I have homework.’

 

‘Tomorrow, go make your homework,’ Tony promised. He started to do some research on colorblindness. He had searched for it before, but he had a plan and he needed more info. He wanted to make something that could change the way Steve saw the world.

 

So the next day Tony did some tests on his son and wrote down all the results. Steve could mostly see green and blue tones, so he missed out on the red, oranges and pinks. They already knew that, from Steve’s art. A shame, because Red was definitely Tony’s favorite. He was sure Steve would love it too if he could see it. So Tony combined all the results of the test and got to work. He locked himself in his workshop for two days. He only got out when he got dragged out by his son, who hated eating alone. But after those two days he finally made what he wanted. He just hoped it would work.

 

‘Alright, sit down, big guy,’ Tony said. He had called Steve down the moment he came back home from school. ‘Try these!’

 

Steve frowned at the two small things in Tony’s hand. They looked like contacts, but different. He was colorblind, but other than that his eyes were still very good, he didn’t need contacts.

 

‘Come on, try them,’ Tony said. ‘I want to know if they work.’

 

‘I don’t know how to,’ Steve said.

 

‘I can’t do it for you either, but we can make this a little easier,’ Tony said as he pushed Steve’s chair to a table and placed a mirror in front of him. ‘Hold your eye open with your left hand, look up, and then carefully put this in your eye with your right hand. It doesn’t hurt, you won’t touch the sensitive parts. It’s completely safe.’

 

It took a few tries, but then one of the contacts was in place. Steve was blinking rapidly. His eyes were trying to adjust to the new, weird, intrusion. Tony almost regretted it. Steve was still really young, maybe he should have given him glasses instead until he was a little older.

 

‘Wow,’ Steve said. His left eye was closed and with his right eye, the one with the contact, he was looking around. ‘This is weird. Is that what red looks like?’

 

Tony laughed. ‘Yup, isn’t it beautiful? I made contacts that make you see a bit of the colors that you’re missing. It’s not perfect, still not the same as people who are not colorblind, but this will help with your art. I found out that these things existed, but they weren’t good enough. I made better ones. Do you like them?’

 

‘I want the other one as well!’ Steve said happily. He took the second contact from Tony and carefully put it in his other eye. It was still difficult, but a lot faster than the first one.

 

With wide eyes he walked through the workshop. Everything looked so different with the contacts, he couldn’t get enough of it, he wanted to see everything. Tony followed him around the house. His grin got wider and wider every time Steve got excited about something he had missed out on before.

 

On his next art project Steve got an A.

 

~

 

Tony pushed open the door of Steve’s bedroom to ask if he wanted to go out and do something fun, when he found the boy in his underwear, looking at himself in the mirror. He didn’t look very happy. No, that was an understatement. He looked very, very sad. Like a kicked puppy.

 

‘What’s up, big guy?’ Tony asked as he let himself fall down on Steve’s big bed. Even after all these years the place was still blue with white stars. It looked a bit more mature than ten years ago though.

 

‘Nothing,’ Steve muttered as he took a pair of pants from his closet.

 

‘You’re the worst liar ever,’ Tony said as he got up and took the pants from Steve. ‘You’re sad and I think it has something to do with the way you look, otherwise you wouldn’t still be in your underwear.’

 

‘Bucky has a girlfriend,’ Steve said, looking at the floor.

 

‘And you are jealous?’ Tony asked.

 

‘No, Natasha is my friend, I introduced them, she is a nice girl.’

 

‘Okay, then are you jealous of Natasha instead?’ Tony asked. ‘Did you want to be the one in Bucky’s arms?’

 

This time Steve did look up, he frowned at his father. ‘No, Bucky is just a friend as well. How do you know I like guys too?’

 

‘I didn’t,’ Tony shrugged. ‘But you and Bucky have been friends for years, you two were very close, I wouldn’t have been surprised. You know I don’t care, right, if you bring home a guy or a girl, or both, of multiple, whatever. As long as you are happy.’

 

‘Thanks,’ Steve said, a bit unsure.

 

‘Then you’re worrying that nobody will ever be interested in you?’ Tony asked. ‘Because you’re skinny and you think you’re ugly?’

 

‘I am ugly,’ Steve said as he glanced at himself in the mirror.

 

‘Like hell you are,’ Tony laughed. ‘I might be your father, but we’re not blood-related, so I’m just going to say it: if I had been in your class I would have totally fallen for you. You have super pretty eyes, and most girls would kill to have hair like yours. Your face is really beautiful, you look a lot like your mother. I’ve only seen her when she was sick, but she still looked amazing. The first time I saw her I wanted to flirt a little, see how she would respond.’

 

‘You’re terrible,’ Steve said, rolling his eyes.

 

‘Yeah, I didn’t do it, because she had a kid,’ Tony continued, trying to stop a grin. ‘Such a turn off.’

 

‘So that’s why you have been single ever since you adopted me?’ Steve asked, a smile on his face as well now.

 

‘Yes, it’s all your fault!’ Tony sighed dramatically as he let himself fall back down on the bed. ‘You gave me so much love, I couldn’t handle more of it from anyone else. You totally ruined the lives of hundreds of women who could have been my girlfriends. But that wasn’t the point. You look like your mom and you’re a very pretty boy. And don’t worry about the skinny body, you’ll grow. Seeing your hands and feet, and the obvious size of the bulge in your boxers, you will grow a little more.’

 

‘Dad!’ Steve said embarrassed.

 

Tony sat up with a grin and threw the pants at Steve. The boy was blushing so badly that the red even reached his chest. It was adorable. ‘Don’t be embarrassed, you’re going to make people very happy with that someday. When you have a lot of money or a big dick, the size of the rest of your body doesn’t matter.’

 

Steve blushed even more. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever have sex,’ he muttered so soft that Tony could hardly hear it.

 

‘Why not? Because your asthma?’ Tony asked. Steve had grown over most of his illnesses and others were cured with surgery or medication, but his asthma lasted. ‘Did you ever have an attack when you used your right hand? If you can handle that, you can handle sex. Just find a partner that really cares about you, and not just anyone who fancies you. You can take it slow and see if your breathing can handle it. If you’re doing alright, you can experiment and see what else you can do.’

 

The serious tone in Tony’s voice made Steve look at him. ‘Thanks, I guess,’ he said. ‘But can we stop talking about this now? Nobody is going to be interested anytime soon anyway.’

 

‘Shame,’ Tony said. ‘Here I thought you were going to tell me about your crushes and about all your hot teachers that might be a nice match for me. I’m only thirty-seven, I can still do this whole dating thing.’

 

‘You’re forty-two,’ Steve laughed. ‘But my chemistry teacher is always asking about you. Maybe you should go and talk to her about my grades.’

 

‘I could totally be the hot dad!’ Tony defended himself. ‘And I love science, but chemistry is a no go! I’m sorry, big guy, but she is not going to be your stepmom. Chemistry teachers probably make very evil stepmoms.’

 

‘I don’t need a new mother,’ Steve smiled as he put on a shirt. ‘Can you teach me how to drive a car?’

 

Tony put his hands over his heart. ‘I thought this day would never come, but it’s finally here. Your love for cars is amazing, you truly are my son!’

 

Laughing they walked to the garage to pick a car.

 

~

 

'I called you big guy too often,' Tony complained as he looked up at Steve. Within a year he had suddenly grown a lot. He no longer reached Tony's shoulder, it was almost the other way around. 'And not only did you grow all tall and handsome, no, you had to get all muscly too. Now no one is going to look at me anymore! I'm going to die, pathetic and alone.'

 

'I'll take care of you,' Steve grinned. 'Even if it means I'm going to have to change your diapers or something.'

 

Tony pouted. 'Don't tell anyone you're my son. Let them think you're my super hot, very young, lover? I promise you'll get all my money when I die.'

 

Steve snorted. 'I'll get all your money? That changes everything.' Steve had never really cared about the money. It was useful, definitely, but he never used it to get himself a girl or a guy and he never bought himself anything big. His father did that for him, when he felt like it.

 

'Be nice for your old father! I was the only one who believed you'd grow tall,' Tony whined.

 

'Yes, I remember your very scientific explanation. You said I had a big dick and the rest of my body would adjust,' Steve laughed.

 

'And it did! Or did your dick grow even bigger? Because if it did, that's my genes,' Tony grinned. 'And it would explain the lack of girls. You can hurt ladies with it. Be good to them, or bring guys around instead. Guys can handle it!'

 

Steve shook his head. He had gotten used to having a father who was very open about sex. It was kind of nice, even though Tony said really embarrassing things sometimes. He used the excuse that he was a dad, so he could make lame dad jokes. He absolutely abused it!

 

'So, what are to going to do now?' Tony asked. 'You graduated high school, you got good grades, you can do whatever you want. You could be a nurse and take care of me, or you could be a model, with that buffed up body of yours. You only have two months left, so you gotta make a decision, big guy. Unless you wanna make a trip around the world, then just take my credit card and call the pilot.'

 

'I'm going to be a stripper,' Steve said, semi-serious.

 

'Good choice, you'd make a lot of people very happy with that. With a body like yours you could become the best paid porn star of the country if you wanted to, but I know you're way to shy for that.'

 

'You wouldn't mind?' Steve asked. 'Of course you wouldn't mind, what am I thinking. But I don't know what to do, dad. Bucky is joining the army and I know I could do that too, but I don't think it's for me. I thought about psychology, but I don't really want to do that the rest of my life. I could be a teacher, I think I could be good at that, but I just don't know.'

 

'Steven Grant Rogers, you're an idiot sometimes,' Tony sighed. 'I just told you I'm okay with it if you’d become a porn star, do you really think I would mind if you go to art school?'

 

'But you hate art,' Steve said, hope in his voice.

 

'So what? When do you ever listen to me?' Tony asked. 'I didn’t like kids either, but you wiggled your way into my heart. Do whatever you like, Steve. If art makes you happy you should go to art school. I'll be proud of you, no matter what.'

 

'I'd really like to go to art school then,' Steve said, a bright smile on his face.

 

'I knew that,' Tony grinned. 'Go and fill in all forms. You’ve wasted enough time, big guy.'

 

~

 

Steve walked through the gallery with a proud smile. He was only twenty-seven and he already had his very first exposition in a big and well known place like this. He could hardly believe it himself! He tried to look as proud as he felt, even though he hated tuxedos. His father had told him he looked amazing, so he believed it, Tony had an eye for things like that.

 

Pepper was there, she loved art as much as Steve did. She had congratulated him and complimented him, and of course at that moment a photographer had made a picture. Steve didn't mind. Pepper was well known in the world of art and the parties that came with it. Madeline was there too. She looked amazing in her tight blue dress, and the guys couldn't keep their eyes off her. She and Steve had become great friends over the years. Everyone told them they would be a great couple and they were both used to the jealous glances and the remarks. They knew better, they were just friends. Of course Tony was there too, but he wasn't as loud as he normally was. This night was Steve's night, he wouldn't try to attract attention.

 

Steve felt great. He finally had the chance to talk to all the famous artists and collectors he learned about in school. He was part of that group now. He got so many business cards that his jacket felt heavy. Every card was a new opportunity. Either someone who wanted another exposition, someone who would want to buy his work, or someone to work with. It felt amazing, but so unreal.

 

His exposition was mostly black and white, with now and then some very expressive colors that fitted the mood of the painting. He didn't really have a theme, everything was completely different. Some were paintings, others pencil sketches, there were pieces with chalk, but also ones in charcoal. Every work of art was amazing on its own, but together they were masterpieces.

 

When it was time for Steve's speech, the owner of the gallery tried to get everyone's attention. They all approached the small stage, curious about the artist. Especially the press was interested, they filled the front row, their cameras and notebooks ready. When the gallery owner called Steve's name, Steve took a deep breath, put a smile on his face, and stepped onto the platform.

 

He shortly explained who he was and what this exposition was about. He learned to give a good speech from his father, Tony was the best when it came to speaking in public. He knew exactly what to say to keep the attention of the crowd, so Steve tried to act like him. They were all looking at him expectantly, so he hoped he was doing a good job. He ended with thanking everyone who had made it possible for him to have this exposition. The gallery owner, Pepper and Madeline, some of his friends.

 

'One last person,' Steve said. 'But a very important one: Mister Stark. I heard a few of you wonder why he is here, because he obviously doesn't like art. Well, he is here because I invited him. He is here because he is my father.'

 

Steve waited a few moments, until everyone had calmed down again, his smile never leaving his face.

 

'We agreed to not make it known unless I would reach high places on my own. Today I did just that. I never used the Stark name or the money. I achieved this goal all by myself. That doesn't mean I have nothing to thank mister Stark for. Thank you for adopting me, for giving me the medical care no one else could have ever given me, for giving me a new home when I was left all alone, for all the opportunities, for your trust, for believing in me and for saving my life. But most of all, thank you for all the love you have given me. I couldn't have done this without you, dad.'

 

Tony would never admit he had tears in his eyes.

 


End file.
